The recent hype in seafood has been all about traceability—and for good reason. Studies have found that over one-third of seafood is mislabeled in the United States. As such, questions such as “Where does our seafood come from” and” How was it caught?” arise. These are only a sample of the important questions we ought to ask, as it pertains not only to the sustainability and health of our oceans, but of our well-being as consumers.

Red’s Best in Boston Public Market. Photo credit: Astrid Hsu.

Such an example is Red’s Best in Boston, Massachusetts: while meandering around the Boston Public Market by Haymarket Station, I stumbled across the humble seafood stand. A flavorful and fulfilling shop, I ordered the fish sandwich (fish of the day was local haddock)—a delectable, crunchy beer battered fish with a creamy in-house tartar sauce.

But here, Red’s Best is serving up more than just delicious lobster rolls and fish sandwiches. From ocean to plate, Red’s Best details the product’s journey from fishermen to customer. By allowing customers to know the fishermen that catch their food, Red’s is playing a key component in creating a bridge of trust between businesses and consumers. Traceability not only allows patrons to have faith that the labels are correct, but also presents the information necessary to choose more sustainable goods. The details passed onto the customer include name of the fishermen, ship name, gear type, and where it was caught—“sea” a sample below!

Sample of the details that Red’s Best provides with their products. Photo credit: Astrid Hsu.

If you are ever in Boston, be sure to check out Red’s Best. To learn more about traceability, check out Oceana’s campaign and recent report!